Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-12-10

that articles and Temptations OF a superior
grade can exist, and does exist, without the
aid Of Intelligence. without the aid OF n crea-
tor. and only through the combination OF
ignorance. a. expressed by the two Atheistic
words OF accident aud chance7 AS these two
words will be nsed more or less In this con-
nectlon, propose 10 give their meaning as
derived from what Is generally regarded As
good authority, webster's Unabridged Die
tionary. First--"The absence OF any defined
OF recognized cause; fortuity; casually"
event which happens without
any assigned cause" Third-"The possibility |
OF an occurrence" These are their meanings
Is expressed in common parlance, but their
true meaning as given by the same author
may be stated es follows: Ut Is strictly and
philosophically true In nature and reason,
that there Is no such thing as chance or acci-
dent, It being evident that these words do not |
signify anything really existing, anything |
that is truly the agent or the cause OF any |
event but they signify merely mems ignor-
ance OF the real and Immediate causes" Now
I trust that all persons will remember the
definitions OF these Two favorite words OF
Atheism in order that they may understand
the meaning OF the Atheist when he uses
them Ia connection with the creations OF
"hls" unknown God. IL his meaning Is not
ignorance his expression will be, In accord
ance with the foregoing meaning OF the word
cirance as applied under the rules OF Atheism,
our inability 70 assign cause for, or our
Ignorance as regards the existence OF person
or thing, how created, when created, or by
whom created, authorizes us 10 say that the
one does hot exist, and that the other has no
creator, but simply came by chance or acct
dent.
Or to speak In palmer terms, because we
cannot see God In person, nor understand the
origin OF his existence, nor the process OF
nature IN the creation OF its many products,
or get satisfactory explanation as regards
the mysteries connected with tine same. we
must in accordance with the theory Of Athe-
| ism utterly ignore the existence Of one, and
claim for the other chance or accidental
creation.
/ II for the reasons named we must deny the
existence OF n God, we must also upon the
same grounds deny the former existence OF
renowned men and great cities, of which Our
knowieds e has been derived through the ira
ditional pages of history. Whilst we have
I
former being we have also history aud mill
lionso presentlivlng proofs besides, that tells
lis OF the former and present existence Of
true and living God. II FIVE claim Tor the pro-
ducts of nature merely chance existence,
and deny that they were deliberately created
for purpose by or through the Will of some
Intelligent agency or power, because of mys-
teries that we cannot interpret or explain,
| then we must a SO claim the same for many
of the products of man. five will think for
a moment we will cal to our minds the fact
that there is probably not one OF the many
productions of art whose mysteries of creation
are all intelligently understood by every per-
son.
We also know that there are many products
of mans own creation having mysteries con-
nected with their action that he cannot in
diligently understand or explain. Fire and
water properly connected through the aid OF
certain mechanical contrivances known rs
steam engines, produce a substance In the
shape of steam sufficiently powerful to draw
railway trains put in motion the machinery
of the largest manufacturing establishments
and propel in defiance of wind and wave the
many mammoth steamships of the world
We know that certain articles properly pre-
pared and united creates explosive substances
sufficiently powerful to force cannon balls
through heavy plates OF iron, tear to pieces
the greatest rocks, or blow to atoms the mosl
substantial buildings of the earth. We know
that electricity through the aid of certain hui
man appliances conveys the messages Of mar
with lightning speed to and from the mos
remote corners of The earth, illuminates The
buildings, streets and squares of his cities
and performs various other services at hi,
bidding We may also name the telephone
which conveys the words OF persons using II
even to the tone of voice, over hundreds o
miles ofspace, Or the mysterious phonograpl
, enclosing within its embrace the words OF /
conversation spoken, or the music of d sonl
sung III its presence, ana after time, at Thu
will of It's owners or operator, repeat the SANE
as spoken or sung.
: Whilst science offers certain plausible the
: cries in explanation ofthe principles control
( ing what appears to be mysteries In regard u
: the action of the thingsan substances named
t there are connected with these, and also witt
f various other things purporting to DO III,
: creation OF man, certain prsncples or mys
: teries that are really beyond the reach o
/ human explanation. The various articles o
( things named as having connected with then
! certain unexplained mysteries are OF aetna
r existence and USE and man is claimed as thei
: inventor, creator or manufacturer. Thougl
, they are to some extent based upon principle
beyond the comprehension of Hian, and con
nected with mysteries that human intelli
: fgence cannot explain, they are not regarde,
/, AS things of chance or accident. But for thos
/ productions whose authorship we canno
place TO the credit of man, whf se successful
E creation certainly requires much create
I amount Of intelligence than IL is possible 70
+ him to possess, we deny an intelligent create
= and claim for them chance production sim
, ply because we are ignorant of certain mys
teries connected with their creation an'
/ existence.
l / do not know that we could more plainl,
7 illustrate the inconsistency OF Atheism thai
: in The studio OF some celebrated artist o
e sculptor In this studio we see before as per
' fectly formed images OF men, animals, birds
: etc. ingcnously shaped ond formed by til
Y artists chisel from what was once rugge'
r blocks OF marble. After viewing with mucl
i nleoeura and admiration fhp Image of N In